Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Executive Committee has approved the following Team and Alternate/Individual drivers to represent the United States at the 2005 World Combined Pony Driving Championships and 2005 World Pair Championships for Horses: 2005 FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championships Catton Hall, England, July 14-17 Single Pony Drivers: Sara Schmitt of Glen Gardner, NJ and Suzy Stafford of Bear, DE Alternate/Individual: Muffy Seaton of...

Courtesy of Karina Benish (Karina and Hawkeye) He was the ugliest male I had ever seen in my life. He had a bloody wound on his nose, hair six inches long on his chest, and he weighed about 700-800 pounds—400 shy of his best weight. His name was Hawkeye, and he was my partner for more than 14 years. Hawkeye was a mustang horse, and it was he who taught me what it is to trust. Horses, in my opinion, given good care and a little attention, are high up in Maslow’s hierarchy. Since...

The Horse Park at Woodside in California will host a U.S. Eventing Association (USEA)-recognized three-day event on Memorial Day weekend, taking advantage of its new cross-country course and the recent granting of county permits for use of and improvements to the 272-acre equestrian property, as well as an extension to its lease from Stanford University through 2017. The May 27-29 event, in which riders will compete at levels from Beginner Novice through Intermediate, is the first of a series...

Six American Saddlebred horses will demonstrate the versatility of the breed on Tuesday, May 31, at 7 p.m., at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in Pennsylvania. Julie Lynn Andrew has put together a team of six horses that will perform combined driving, pleasure driving, show jumping, western pleasure, dressage and five-gaited. The horses will do the demonstration to rock and roll songs such as "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith, "Jump" by Van Halen and "Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie and end...

Laura Kraut extended her lead to 13 points over Beezie Madden in the race for American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year following a fifth place finish in the Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix in Kentucky over the weekend. Meanwhile, victories by Aaron Vale in Kentucky and Rich Fellers in California have juggled the standings and moved both of those riders into contention for the American Grand Prix Association title. Entering its 27th year, the AGA Grand Prix Series of Show Jumping is...

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) announced on May 9 that the Organizing Committee of the European Endurance Championships, due to take place on August 6, 2005 in Stourhead House, Wiltshire, Great Britain, had taken the decision to cancel the event. The Organizing Committee (OC) commented, “The level of total funds available had not reached initial expectations, requiring the OC to take action now.” John Hudson, a member of the Organizing Committee went on to say, “The Organizing...

Twelve of the nation’s most talented junior dressage riders will be invited to enter the venerable Dixon Oval at the 31st Dressage at Devon for the 2005 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Junior Dressage Team Championship. The late September event will be the culmination of a year-long qualifying period in which juniors, ages 14-18, ride to their best scores in international level tests. In this competition, the riders will be divided into three teams; all four members of each team will...

The Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials & CIC**, which takes place July 21-24, 2005, inVictor, NY, has a new organizer to replace Kyra Stuart King who has taken over the Presidency of the United States Eventing Association (USEA). Stuart was previously the organizer of the Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials & CIC** since 1990. Her role as organizer has been taken over by Louisa (Wezo) Pierson who has been involved with the event for many years as a patron and fence sponsor. Stuart is excited about the...

When will reining be in the Olympics? We have all heard the question. As the only Western discipline approved for Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) competition, reining is on the threshold of Olympic inclusion. While the threshold won’t easily be traversed, reining received a substantial and very encouraging boost when the FEI, during its 2005 FEI General Assembly, April 5-10, in London, England, proposed recommending to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the addition of a fourth...

Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) of Georgia won the hunter seat equitation phase to clinch the team title at the 28th Annual Affiliated National Riding Commission’s National Intercollegiate Equitation Championship, April 16-17, hosted by Sweet Briar College in Virginia. SCAD junior Jordan Siegel took home the title of individual champion for the second time in her college career. Siegel, who won the top individual award as a freshman in 2003, was joined by teammates Ashley Kelly and...